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Submitted by Phantom Lord on Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 4:37 AM EST
Before the match, Hogan asked for the house microphone and addressed the crowd. "I know you all came to see me put an end to Iron Sheik's title reign," he said, "But frankly, I'm not the guy to do it. He is!" With that, Hogan pointed to the entrance and out came Bob Backlund, accompanied by Skaaland! Hogan said he was willing to give Backlund his title match tonight because it was the right thing to do. "Make us proud, brother," Hogan said before leaving the ring. BOB BACKLUND (w/ Arnold Skaaland) vs. THE IRON SHEIK (champion) Sheik chose to test Backlund's injured neck with some clubbing forearms but Backlund quickly flipped Sheik down with a suplex, showing that he was coming into this at 100%. Sheik charged but fell victim to another suplex, then another, leading to a near-fall for the former champion. Backlund locked on a sleeperhold but Sheik shrugged him off, pushing him into the ropes. As Backlund bounced off, Sheik clobbered him with a clothesline taking him down hard. Sheik clubbed away at Backlund, then cinched in the camel clutch, the very move that had won him the title initially! Sheik stretched Backlund's neck, but he refused to give in. At ringside, Skaaland grabbed the towel and prepared to toss it in but Backlund shook his head, telling his manager not to. Skaaland did as instructed and watched on helplessly as Sheik wrenched away on Backlund's neck. Sheik grew weary of Backlund's grit and released the hold in an attempt to put the boots to him. As he drove his curl-tipped feet into the back of Backlund's head, Backlund rolled away and quickly swept Sheik's legs from beneath him! Back in the game, Backlund wasted little time in stringing together an offensive flurry. Sheik couldn't stop him and only hoped to contain him. He grabbed Bob's head and hooked in a headlock... but Backlund lifted Sheik up and dropped him with the atomic drop! With Sheik down, Backlund opted to apply the ultimate indignity... his own camel clutch! As Backlund stretched Sheik on the mat, the Iranian warrior had no choice but to give it up, surrendering his title to escape!
"Bret Hart winning the WWF title was the first time that Vince placed the belt on a less traditional style wrestler. Bret was a wrestler first, nothing too flashy. He is best remembered for his wrestling, not his style, whereas guys like Hogan and Savage were flashy stars first, not to say that they couldn't wrestle, they just had something else to fall back on. Bret, on the other hand, had to get over with sheer wrestling ability, and that was the first time I can think of during Vince Jr.'s reign that this was attempted. This paved the way for the smaller guys to shine in future years. If Bret had never gotten over as champion, I doubt guys like Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, or Eddie Guerrero would ever have gotten the World title." - TEH MONKEY
BRET "HITMAN" HART vs. "NATURE BOY" RIC FLAIR (champion) The two squared off in the center of the ring as the referee held the title belt above his head, signifying that it was indeed at stake. Flair extended his hand to Bret, then as Bret went to accept, Flair jerked it back and ran his fingers through his hair, shouting "Whooo" in Bret's face. "That's class, Gorilla," Heenan said, "These humanoids don't understand that Ric Flair is just on another level than this guy." "Will you stop!" Monsoon exclaimed. The two finally locked up and Bret surprised the wily veteran by taking control of things, controlling the tempo and simply holding his own. Bret caught a two-count following a victory roll, then continued to put the hurt on, spiking Flair with a DDT. Bret took Flair down with a Russian leg sweep, netting another near-fall for the challenger. With Flair in a weakened state, Bret stood at Flair's feet and dropped a headbutt to the abdomen. "He's softening up the champion for that Sharpshooter!" Gorilla cried out and Bret attempted to apply the hold. "No!" Heenan cried, seeing his charge in dire straits, "That was a low blow! Disqualification! Somebody wake this ref up!" As Bret crossed Flair's leg, the Nature Boy reached out and grabbed the ropes, preventing Bret from hooking the move in. Hart broke the hold and backed off, giving Flair a chance to get up. It proved to be a costly mistake as Flair caught Bret as he walked in with a poke in the eyes, blinding the Hitman. Flair backed Hart to the corner and unleashed a few chops at his chest. Flair whipped Bret across the ring but halfway through Bret reversed, sending Flair flailing to the corner. Flair flipped over the ropes and walked the apron to the adjacent turnbuckle. He climbed up top but Bret caught him with a top rope slam, driving him into the mat! "It looks bad for Flair here," Monsoon said, "Bret's got the champ right where he wants him." "I can't just sit by and watch this travesty!" Heenan exclaimed. "Where are you going?" Monsoon asked his broadcast colleague as Heenan stormed off. In the ring, Hart quickly hooked on the Sharpshooter and cinched it in deep, bending Flair's spine awkwardly. Just then... Heenan walked out to ringside and into the ring. He punched Hart in the face, forcing him to break the hold. "No!" Monsoon shouted, "That weasel!" The ref called for the bell and Heenan helped Flair up... but Bret grabbed The Brain and spun him around, then took him down and hooked in the Sharpshooter! As Heenan cried in pain, Ric Flair made a cowardly escape with his title.
"Steve Austin�s 1996 KOTR win changed the WWF instantly. It gave birth to the whole Austin 3:16 catchphrase. Although he didn�t win the WWF title until 21 months after his win, he was transformed from a mid-carder to taking on Bret Hart in the main event almost instantly. I would also say that this win was also one of the key moments it the birth of the Attitude era." - Crazy Brit
MARC MERO (w/ Sable) vs. STEVE AUSTIN Mero started off strong with a hard right hand. "He's got some credentials in the world of boxing," McMahon said. "Boxing?" Owen scoffed, "This is wrestling. Closed fists are illegal and illegal maneuvers are not befitting of royalty." Mero continued slugging away at Austin, peppering him with hard punches and taking him down with a Samoan drop. Mero made a cover but Austin kicked free at two. Mero put on a headlock but Austin escaped it and slung him into the ropes, then lifted him up and dropped him throat-first. During Austin's offense, Jim Ross noted that Austin's lip had been busted wide open and he was bleeding profusely. "See?" Owen cried out, "Red! Not blue, red! He's no King."
In the end, Helmsley cashed in and received his shot at SummerSlam. Sable, forced to choose between her boy toys, took the sure thing and assisted Shawn in retaining his title. Helmsley petitioned WWF management for another shot, but also realized he needed back-up of some kind. He introduced the mammoth Chyna to assist with his "female problems". As for Steve Austin, his character grew darker and more sinister, randomly attacking wrestlers and busting them open as well as cutting promos on how much he liked the sight of blood. Bret Hart, ever the purveyor of justice, took up arms against the maniacal Austin in the fall, leading to a huge double main-event at WrestleMania XIII between Michaels and Helmsley and Hart and Austin, regarded by wrestling historians as one of the finest 'Manias from top to bottom. "What the Montreal Screw Job did was rid the WWE of Bret Hart- someone who did not fit in the late 90's style of product. Bret was severely holding back the WWE product back in terms of competing with WCW. When Bret left, it allowed guys like Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and others who fit well into the type of direction that the WWE wanted to go with their product. Had Bret Hart never left the WWE, then the WWE would most likely have gone under sometime in 1998, and we would be watching Nitro on Monday Nights." - RIPbossman
BRET HART (champion) vs. SHAWN MICHAELS The two locked up and Michaels immediately went for a side headlock. Bret pushed him off into the ropes and caught him with a clothesline, putting the challenger down. Immediately, Bret tried for the Sharpshooter but HBK kicked him back into the corner, showing he was clearly still in this match. Michaels got hooked in a headlock, but broke it by using a handful of hair. His villainous tactics elicited an even more negative reaction from the crowd, who were solidly behind the Hitman. HBK took Bret to the mat with a neckbreaker, then scaled the turnbuckle. He soared through the air, looking to drop the big elbow and put away the champ. Bret moved out of the way, causing Michaels' body to be splattered on the mat. Hart quickly capitalized with high-risk offense of his own. He climbed up top and dropped the point of his elbow directly in HBK's chest. Michaels struggled to get to his feet, but found himself right back on the mat, courtesy of a Bret Hart backbreaker. With full control of the match, Hart decided to put the finishing touches on, hooking HBK up in a Russian leg sweep position. A few elbows by Michaels freed him but HBK was whipped into the ropes as a result. As he bounced off, he launched his leg forward, nailing Hart with the superkick! With the Hitman incapacitated, Michaels decided to add insult to injury by using Bret's own finisher to win. He locked Hart in the Sharpshooter in the center of the ring. Hart, having mastered the intricacies of the hold after years of using it, pulled Michaels' free leg back and caused him to break his grip... then reversed it, hooking in his own Sharpshooter! Just then, Hunter Hearst Helmsley ran down to save his fellow D-Xer. Helmsley made it about halfway to the ring before being stopped by Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart, who ran out as well. Chyna ran past the three and to the ring but Owen Hart rushed out as well. With the chaos growing by the second, referee Earl Hebner had no choice but to throw the match out. The Hart Foundation put up a united front and soon sent D-X packing. The show ended with Smith and Neidhart standing guard at ringside while the Hart brothers stood strong in center ring.
"At SummerSlam last year, Randy Orton pinned Chris Benoit cleanly to win his first ever world title. Not only does it say in the record books that he is the youngest World Heavyweight Champion, but it was also a moment where Randy, despite being a heel, received a lot of respect from the fans, even being cheered when the match was over. Because of those cheers, the WWE tried to turn him face, with a bad result. Very bad." - Big Brother
"A lot of people doubted I could do this," Orton said, looking at his championship belt, "Chris Benoit, the fans, even some of my friends. They told me I wasn't ready, that it was too much, too soon. Well, none of that matters now because your new champion is here!" With that, Orton passed the mike back to Flair and raised the title over his head, eliciting loud boos from the crowd. Triple H took the microphone from Flair and addressed Orton. "You know," he began, "Last night you proved something to me, kid. You proved that when I chose you to be a part of Evolution, it was the right choice. Thanks to what we've taught you, you've become the youngest champion in WWE history. My hat's off to you, Randy. Next week, you've got a rematch with Chris Benoit..." H's comment caused a rousing stir from the crowd, who were anxious to see Benoit get his return match. "And Evolution," HHH continued, "Will be standing right in your corner. We believe in you, kid. We always have." Triple H reached out and shook Orton's hand, but refused to let go. He leaned in close and said, "But remember this. I am the leader of Evolution. I am The Game. And above all else, I am the best wrestler alive today. You wear that title and you wear it proudly, and next week you face Benoit and you beat him. However, somewhere down the line, you're going to look across this ring and see my face looking back at you. Know this. Your run at the top... ends there." Having concluded his warning, Triple H released Orton's hand and backed away. Orton reached out and took the microphone. "You're right, Triple H," he said, "I am the champion and next week, I will beat Chris Benoit. And you're right. One day, I will look across the ring and see you as my opponent... but you're wrong about two things. First, my time at the top... it won't end there. And second... who said you were the leader of Evolution?" With that said, Flair and Batista attacked, clubbing Triple H from behind! The two pummeled The Game, then Batista scooped him up and powerbombed him in the center of the ring. With HHH prone on the mat, Orton stood over him and put the title in his face. "This is the only real power you ever had!" he shouted, "And now, it's mine! The title is mine! Evolution is mine! Everything you ever had... it's all mine now!" Orton stood over the fallen Cerebral Assassin and raised the title up high as RAW went off the air.
By now, you're probably wondering "What is the point of this?" Trust me, I've been asked that quite a bit. It's simple. Think of all the "great" wrestling memories we missed out on because WWE made the "wrong" decisions, the terrific matches and storylines their imperfection has robbed us of for all eternity. Now... Think of all the wonderful memories they've given us, often times in spite of their "mistakes", often times because of them. Without Hulk Hogan's title win, we'd likely have been spared the atrocious match quality of the '80s, but would it have been worth missing out on riding the wave of Hulkamania? If Orton's character had been spared it's ill-fated face turn, would it have been worth missing that classic WrestleMania moment when Batista raised the title in triumph? Given the general sentiment of WWE creative, I'm just not sure fans today give them the credit they deserve for what they're trying to do. Think of the hit series "24". In one year, the creative staff of that show releases 24 hours of television. With RAW alone, WWE matches that in 12 weeks. 6 if you add in SmackDown! 4 if you count HeAT and Velocity. Add in a pay-per-view, Afterburn, Bottomline and the Experience... you're down to 2. An entire year's worth of TV in a fortnight. That, in and of itself, is quite a feat. And they do it year-round. No off-season. No re-runs. Continuous original programming the likes of which only perhaps the local news can come close to. Given the amount of content they put out, a certain level of "hit or miss" is to be expected. We hear plenty about the misses, but what of the hits? Here in the world of internet wrestling commentary, it seems wrestling's heckling comes through in Dolby Digital Surround Sound, while the applause is reduced to a golf clap here or there. I'm not saying let's all heap undeserved praise on their doorstep by any means. A lot of the criticism is quite warranted and has merit. However, the reality of the situation is that WWE's not trying to please 100% of the people 100% of the time, which means there will come a time that they're intentionally not targeting you, whatever your fancy may be. Also understand that just because you don't like it doesn't make it bad. I personally loathe the Batista push, so much to the point that I've pretty much stopped watching his segments on RAW, despite being a big HHH fan. However, I cant deny that most fans have found it thoroughly entertaining and support it. If it were my call, I'd say kill it off today, but that's just me. My one vote doesn't cancel out the thousands who go another way. I understand and respect that. Hopefully, there will come a day when the Maven and Kenzo Suzuki fans will have our day. Until then... at least we've got Viscera. It takes all types of people to make a world and all types of fan to make up a demographic. Who's to say what's best? It's for each of us to decide for ourselves. Anyone can write a wrestling show that they would enjoy. It's rather simple. However, appealing to an audience is much more difficult. The broader the audience, the higher the difficulty gets. WWE's audience is anybody and everybody. I'd say that's pretty broad. It's no longer RAW versus Nitro, it's RAW versus every show. No longer do WWE writers have to outshine their WCW counterparts to draw new viewers. Now they must outshine the likes of Monday Night Football or whatever sports are on, Everybody Loves Raymond or whatever sitcom is on, Supernanny 911 or whatever goofy reality show and of course, the all-powerful Nick At Nite Full House re-runs. Seriously, what chance does Christian have against Dave Coulier? The guy sounds just like Popeye! What works for some doesn't work for others and WWE are the ones who draw that line as best they can. Yes, they've given us a lot of lemons over the years, but if you really take a look at it, they've given us our fair share of lemonade as well. You never know how today's "mistakes" or "missteps" or however you choose to phrase it can affect tomorrow. Perhaps today's clouds will give way to another day's silver linings. Perhaps, for someone else... That day is today.
Enter The Dream Realm: "Do It With Children" or something to that effect. I don't know. Reliving Childhood Memories: You should be reading this here instead of my trash. Faceful Of Canvas: Maybe if I give him a plug, he'll return. I miss you, Sufi :'( OTC XI: A Quarter Past Midnight: Leviathan's scathing expose on old people. New Joint: Footnote: Zuma analyzes the concept of transitional champions. Eddie's Song: My favorite columnist writes about my favorite WWE wrestler. Kamala for WWE HOF in 2006: We need you to help make it a reality! Under The Fleece: 24: Kiefer Sutherland said "What? I'm not in it?" The Wrestling Fans' Hall Of Fame: Vote now and be a part of it! Hardtime 18: RIPples defends the Hulkster in a great piece. Zuma's Wedding Page: Be sure to sign the guestbook! :) It's Showtime!: Stinger & Kay discuss tag team wrestling. The Bar Forums: Music, Movies & Sheer Ignorance. The Lords Of Pain Columns Forum: Come say hi! The Movie Bar: It's got movies and stuff. Wrestling United: Deaf kids love it. |
